The Muffler
by Dorien Cousland
Summary: A short one-shot that takes place 15 years ago. Nellie Lovett buys a muffler for Benjamin, but will he like it? Lucy/ Benjamin, one sided Nellie/ Benjamin.


"God, I almost lost all of my things there," Nellie Lovett said as the wind almost blew her down. She was hurrying home as fast as she could with three bags draped around her arms after a morning of shopping. But it wasn't the bags she was worried about, it was the dark blue muffler that she carefully held in both of her arms. Nellie had it as a gift for Benjamin Barker.

"An' he better like it, 'cos it cost me half me weeks earnings, it did." And she glared down at the muffler, as if it was its fault that she had spent so much money. But Nellie wasn't actually upset. She would gladly pay any amount of money to make Benjamin happy. Nellie felt her cheeks get red when she pictured how pleased he would be to receive his gift.

"'Nellie', he'll say, 'You're a bloody wonder, you are.'" Nellie stopped walking, and pointed her hand out, as if she was talking to herself as Mr. Barker. "An' he'll be so happy that he'll sweep me up in 'is arms, and…" She stopped in mid sentence. She had to stop thinking like that! Benjamin is with Lucy, and he is happy. There was no place for her there, not even in her fantasies.

Nellie was practically running home now. She was so excited about giving Mr. Barker his muffler. But what if he doesn't like it? A wave of fear ran through her, but then the thought was quickly pushed away. Benjamin was such a nice person, that even if he hated the muffler he would still wear it every day just to please her. Although Nellie would much prefer it if he _did_ like the muffler she had picked out especially for him.

Nellie finally reached her pie shop and burst in the door, almost dopping all of her things and falling flat on her face. She looked around hopefully for Mr. Barker, but he wasn't there. Lucy was though, sitting gracefully at the counter with Johanna in her arms.

"Oh, 'ello, Lucy!" Nellie called out happily as she put her bags down in the supply room.

"Hello, Nellie. Get any shopping done?" Lucy said politely.

Nellie walked back into the shop. "Yes… I did," she said, tucking the muffler carefully under her arm. "Do you know where Benja- er, Mr. Barker is?" Nellie blushed slightly and looked at the ground.

"He is upstairs, I believe. But he and I were planning to take Johanna out soon, so don't keep him _too_ long!" She said loftily, and laughing. Nellie beamed back at Lucy and Lucy winked at her. The Nellie ran upstairs to Benjamin's barbershop, taking two stairs at a time, only stopping to catch her breath at the door.

She knocked three times. "Mr. Barker?" Nellie said loudly.

"Come in, Mrs. Lovett!" Benjamin called back to her through the door. Nellie entered and found him dusting his chair, softly singing to himself. He looked up at her and smiled. Nellie could already feel her face getting red.

"So how was your day at the market, Nellie?" Benjamin said as he walked over to her. She couldn't help smiling when he said her name.

"Oh, fine, I got some supplies for the shop, you know, an'… I got this." She held up the muffler for him to take. Benjamin did so, and as he grabbed it his hands brushed against hers. They were so warm, and gentle, she thought. Nellie felt like she could almost melt.

"Wow! This is very nice," Benjamin said as he held the muffler up to himself, smiling broadly. He slowly ran it through his hands. Nellie didn't say anything. Words couldn't express how happy she was. She just beamed up at him, blushing all the while.

Then Mr. Barker suddenly held the dark blue muffler up to Nellie's neck, and said, "Yes, it suits you very well, I think. It's very beautiful! And it will keep you warm on those chilly nights, right?" He handed the muffler back to her. When Nellie didn't respond, Benjamin put his hand on her arm and was about to say something when they both heard a voice from downstairs.

"Benjamin darling, we should leave soon, if you're ready," Lucy's mysterious voice carried up the stairs and into the little room where he and Nellie were standing.

"Coming, Love!" Benjamin yelled back. He turned to give Nellie a smile and a wink, and then ran down the stairs two at a time, just as she had done earlier. But Nellie didn't notice his fleeting good bye. She had been looking down at the floor so that Benjamin wouldn't see her tears.


End file.
